Board of Directors

Providing executive oversight for SWAN’s programs and services, our board includes influential veterans, business and civic leaders with decades of experience helping lead organizations in diverse fields.

  • Adam Shaw is an experienced commercial litigator at a global law firm. Based in Washington, DC, he focuses his nationwide legal practice on a wide range of business cases including commercial and government contract disputes, tort claims, consumer finance litigation, and internal investigations. Adam routinely provides legal support to veterans pursuing benefits claims and other matters in and out of court. Prior to his legal career, Adam was an Airborne Surveillance Officer and Air Weapons Officer in the U.S. Air Force, supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe as well as U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in South Korea. He later served as a defense policy consultant at the U.S. Department of the Army, where he developed and coordinated policies for biometrics and identity management programs throughout the Department of Defense. Adam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The University of South Carolina and a Master’s degree in International Relations from The University of Oklahoma. He received his law degree from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC.

  • Jennifer Hogg is a Co-Founder of the Service Women’s Action Network. She served five years in the New York Army National Guard as a 63Y Track Mechanic and left in 2005 at the rank of Sergeant. Jennifer also participated in the 9/11 activation as part of the NYARNG. She received a B.A. in Philosophy from Hunter College of The City University of New York in May 2009 and a J.D. from The City University of New York School of Law in May 2012.

  • Secretary

    Melina Selimbegovic is a Private Client Relationship Associate at Brown Advisory. She is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor and has over 10 years of industry experience. Melina is responsible for managing relationships with high-net- worth individuals and families in the Washington, DC office. Prior to joining Brown Advisory, she was a founding member of Army and Air Force Mutual Aid Association Wealth Management and Trust where she spent 7 years working to build the trust company and later managing client relationships. Melina holds a BA in Psychology and International Relations from UNC Chapel Hill.

  • Charles Zielinski is an AV-Preeminent rated lawyer in the Lexis-Nexis/Martindale-Hubbell peer review system. He has focused his professional career on the legal and policy issues presented by economic, safety, reliability and environmental regulation in the energy and telecommunications industries. He served as a member and Chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission and has significant experience serving on boards and committees. He chaired a national committee that produced reports on implementation of the ground breaking National Energy Act of 1978, was a member New York State’s Environmental Board and of Governor Hugh Carey’s cabinet. Charles received his law degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.

  • Terri-Ann is a U.S Army Veteran, health operations leader and dual board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Leader with clinical experience in Emergency medicine, Cardiac-Thoracic Surgery and OB-GYN. As a visionary leader, her career focus remains in areas of health care operations, staffing development, operational excellence, and strategic collaborations. She is passionate about the impact of transitional care on female veterans and committed to working on bridging the divide related to care delivery. Terri holds a MBA in Health Care management and dual Masters of Science in Nursing degrees with specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Leader.

  • Robyn Fink is an accomplished public relations professional with more than 20 years of experience, serves as director of public relations and partnerships at CKE Restaurants, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. She is responsible for cultivating and maintaining a positive perception of the Company’s restaurant brands, across a broad range of stakeholders including media, advocates, guests, and the general public throughout the US. Prior to joining CKE Restaurants, Fink served as director of consumer public relations for Carnival Cruise Line for four years prior to the pandemic where she was responsible for proactive, consumer PR for the world’s most popular cruise line. Before moving in-house, she served as vice president at Taylor PR in New York specializing in sports-related public relations for a variety of consumer brands companies, including MasterCard, Verizon Lenovo, KT Tape, and Capital One. She also has led major PR initiatives from sports (with on-site PR initiatives surrounding five Super Bowls) and entertainment initiatives to charitable organizations and community relations.

  • Dr. Jenny D'Olympia, LMHC, LP-Dr. D'Olympia is the Associate Chair for the Counseling and Behavioral Health Program and the Director for the Military and Veteran Psychology and Train Vets to Treat Vets programs at William James College. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Service Woman’s Action Network and a consultant to the Department of Veterans Affairs for a research project to prevent homelessness and death by suicide in recently discharged veterans and is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Family Therapists.  Dr. D'Olympia has been in the mental health field for nearly 18 years, during which she has had the opportunity to work and train in a diverse range of settings the most significant of which was counseling veterans returning from Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston Vet Center. Prior to her career in mental health, Dr. D’Olympia served in the United States Air Force Special Operations Command as an intelligence officer charged with supporting Special Tactics operators across the spectrum of combat and training operations. She served three deployments to Oman and Afghanistan in support of the 720th Special Tactics Group. Her extensive experience with service members, veterans, and their families has given her deep insight into the specific mental health needs of this underserved population.

  • Julia is a proven strategic leader with 25+ years of people leadership experience spearheading national programs to deliver results. Over 15 years of experience in Fortune 100 companies leading large, multi-functional teams that execute enterprise strategic initiatives and deliver on key performance metrics spanning multiple lines-of-business. Effective communicator able to influence employees from the C-Suite to the front line. Former US Air Force officer with 11 years of service. My passion is creating a culture where employees are inspired to bring their whole selves to work and can reach their full potential. Julia is currently the Assistant Vice President for DI&B for the largest credit union in the world, NFCU, supporting over 11.6 million members comprised of all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. She has the privilege of leading a diverse team of professional, who establish the strategic imperatives for 22,000+ employees worldwide, helping to create a culture where employees are inspired to bring their whole selves to work and can reach their full potential.

  • Allison McFarlane, founder of Allison McFarlane Inc. (AMI), has a successful career in finance, including roles at Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America. She's a dedicated advocate for women's empowerment, actively involved in organizations like the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce, and WISE. Allison is a sought-after speaker on growth mindset, leadership, and community connections. She holds a Bachelor's in Communication, Sales, and Marketing from the University of Phoenix and is pursuing an MBA, emphasizing her commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth. Her motto: "Practice What You Preach" and "No Hypocrite."

  • Dr. Genevieve Lester is the De Serio Chair of Strategic Intelligence at the US Army War College. Her areas of interest are intelligence; accountability; leadership, and decision-making. She is also an Associate Fellow for Strategic Intelligence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. She holds a Ph.D. and MA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in International Economics/International Law and Organizations from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and a BA in history from Carleton College.